Transfer containers



' April 14, 1964 w. J. HIGGINS TRANSFER CONTAINERS Filed May 24, 1960 IN VEN TOR. WMM/W ffy/64m@ United States Patent Giiice 3,128,811 Patented Apr. 14, 1964 3,128,811 TRANSFER CONTAINERS William 3. Higgins, 12 Capp St., Shorecrest, Carteret, NJ. Filed May 24, 1960, Ser. No. 31,496 4 Claims. (Cl. 150.5) (Granted under Title 35, U.S. Code (1952), sec. 256) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

This invention relatesy to improvements in containers, and more particularly pertains to improvements in transfer containers adapted for use at sea in underway replenishment operations, and in like environments.

Several types of skip boxes have been used in the past, but they all lack the desired functional characteristics of lightness of weight, weather proof casing, high cube and weight capacity, and compact stowability. As a result, ship to ship transfer of small stores is accomplished usually by breaking out such stores in the holds and tween decks, segregating and checking the stores as they are moved to the square of the hatch, consolidating the load on a tarpaulin spread on top of a cargo net, wrapping the load in the tarpaulin, and then hoisting the netted cargo on deck for eventual transfer to a receiving vessel.

The principal disadvantage of this method is that the breaking out and handling of small stores occur during the most active periods, when general cargo is also being handled and moved. The work burden thrown on the hatch gangs working diverse cargos, and the resulting congestion around the hatch square, impede seriously the movement of cargo, and affect adversely the tonnage rate of transfer. A suitable container unitizing small stores loads is therefore desired, and is provided by the subject transfer container.

The principal object of this invention, therefore, is to provide a transfer container adapted for use in the handling of small stores in replenishment at sea operations.

Another object is to provide a transfer container that is light enough in weight so that it can be handled conveniently by one man, Waterproof to permit deck storage, of a capacity for handling a reasonable weight and cube of small stores, capable of being handled by ships hoisting gear, housefall, burtoning and housefall rigs, and stowable by being collapsed when empty to occupy a minimum storage space.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a transfer container, partly broken away to show details of construction;

FIG. 2 is a section taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. l; and

FIG. 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. l.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

In a preferred embodiment, the transfer container comprises a lightweight fabric rectangular-shaped receptacle or box 11 having a top cover 13 secured to the stores-receiving container 15 by suitable means such as a slide fastener. Preferably, the container 15 is of a size conforming to the customary dimensions of shipboard palletized loads, such as 41" x 49 x 40 or 37" x 37 x 36", the container 15 and top cover 13 being each fabricated from a one piece, durable, high strength neoprene coated nylon fabric.

A waterproof construction of the box 11 being preferred, the container 1S can be shaped by cementing the edges of the sides together, thus forming four corners. A brass heavy duty slide fastener, running continuously around the top of the front and two sides of the box 11, is sewed and cemented to the body 15 and to the top cover 13. A wide weather flap, made of neoprene nylon cemented to the top cover, fully encloses and protects' the slide fastener closure. (The manner of cementing the edges of the sides, the slide fastener and the flap are not shown with particularity in the drawing, as such features are well known, and as any well known equivalent weatherproof construction and closures may be employed with the invention.)

Slotted nylon webbing straps form a cradle for the box 11. A slotted nylon webbing alignment strap 17 encircles container 15 proximate the top cover 13, and is lapped upon itself, the lapped ends being secured together by cement and by stitching 19. A rst load strap 21, of slotted nylon webbing, extends around the sides and bottom of the box 11, proximate an end of the box, and each end of the strap 21 is passed through a slot in the alignment strap 17, folded back upon itself proximate the top cover 13, and cemented and sewed down to the alignment strap 17 and to itself by stitching 23, the loop formed by folding back the strap earring a D-ring 25. A second load strap 27 extends similarly around the sides and bottom of the box 11 proximate the other end of the box; similarly, each end of strap 27 is passed through a slot in the alignment strap 17 and is then folded back upon itself, forming iiap 29 folded back proximate the top covers 13, which is cemented and sewed down by stitching 23, the loop formed by folding back the strap carrying a D-ring 21. A slotted nylon webbing bearing strap 31 is inserted through slots 33 in the load straps 21 and 27, proximate the lower part of box 11, the strap 31 er1- circling said box 11 and being lapped upon itself, the lapped ends being secured together by cement and by stitching 35. All intersects of straps are stitched together by stitching 23. Neoprene coated nylon strips 37, wider than the webbing 17, 21, 27 and 31 are cemented to said webbing and to the box 11, strips 37 being rst cemented over webbing 21 and 27 and then strips 37 being cemented over webbing 17 and 31.

In use of the container and the cradle thereof, it can be seen that the alignment strap 17 prevents the load straps 21 and 27 from being displaced laterally, parallel to the container body, prevents the load straps 21 and 27 from moving outward, away from the container body, and reinforces the container against lateral shifting of loads within the container. The bearing strap 31 provides secondary support for the load by enabling the load straps 21 and 27 to distribute their load stresses over a wider area, and further reinforces the container against lateral shifting of loads within the container.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

I claim:

1. In a transfer container comprising a closed receptacle fabricated wholly of flexible material, a cradle comprising a first slotted webbing strap encircling horizontally the upper portion of said receptacle, a pair of slotted webbing straps extending along the sides and bottom of said receptacle proximate the ends thereof, each end of each of said vertically disposed straps passing through a slot of said first strap and being doubled back upon itself to dene an end loop, a D-ring secured in each such end loop, and a second slotted webbing strap encircling horizontally the lower portion of said receptacle, said second strap passing through slots of each of said pair of webbing straps.

2. The combination of claim 1 in which each of said rst and second straps has its ends lapped and cemented and stitched into a closed loop. 5

3. The combination of claim 2 in which the straps at each strap juncture and lap are stitched together.

4. The combination of claim 3 further comprising a strip wider than said straps secured by cement over each of said straps and adapted to be cemented to said recepta- 10 cle.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Fleisher Nov. 8, 1892 Manson et a1 Sept. 15, 1942 Cunningham Oct. 28, 1952 Toolon Dec. 7, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Mar. 17, 1949 

1. IN A TRANSFER CONTAINER COMPRISING A CLOSED RECEPTACLE FABRICATED WHOLLY OF FLEXIBLE MATERIAL, A CRADLE COMPRISING A FIRST SLOTTED WEBBING STRAP ENCIRCLING HORIZONTALLY THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID RECEPTACLE, A PAIR OF SLOTTED WEBBING STRAPS EXTENDING ALONG THE SIDES AND BOTTOM OF SAID RECEPTACLE PROXIMATE THE ENDS THEREOF, EACH END OF EACH OF SAID VERTICALLY DISPOSED STRAPS PASSING THROUGH A SLOT OF SAID FIRST STRAP AND BEING DOUBLED BACK UPON ITSELF TO DE- 